The Dark Knight Returns, Rises, and keeps on going

I finally saw The Dark Knight Rises the other day (in IMAX!) and was really happy with it. It's not perfect, but it's a really enjoyable film and is an excellent conclusion to Nolan's Batman trilogy. One thing that really struck me was how Nolan, for a filmmaker who's given us one of the most "realistic" takes on comic book superheroes ever, borrowed heavily from a number of specific Batman comics stories for Rises. You can see elements from Knightfall, No Man's Land, Dark Knight Returns, and a few more. It shouldn't have surprised me, though, because when it comes to storytelling versatility, Batman is far and away the best superhero.

We're clearly in a golden age of superhero movies, with films good, bad, and everywhere in between reaching varying levels of economic success. Marvel's heroes in particular have, for the most part, done well on the big screen. Starting with Iron Man in 2008 right up through this year's outstanding job by Joss Whedon with The Avengers, the Marvel superheroes have been brought to life with style and substance (again, that's "for the most part", so let's pretend the Ghost Rider movies don't exist). If there's a common thread through the Marvel films, it's that they got the characters Right. That is to say, for Iron Man or Thor or Captain America, you can identify a set of characteristics that make up the ideal version of each character... and the films of the last few years nailed those characteristics. Heck, let's break them down:

• Iron Man: genius billionaire playboy philanthropist, using his high tech suit to atone for years of weapons manufacturing
• Captain America: noble and courageous paragon of American virtue faced with a country that struggles to live up to those values
• X-Men: mutants banding together to survive in and protect a world that hates and fears them
• Thor: demigod struggling to live up to his father's example, dealing with a jealous and deceitful brother while protecting a world of humans he's come to love
• Hulk: ANGRY HULK SMASH

Batman, on the other hand, is a little bit different. In fact, I'd go so far as to argue that Batman is unique among most of his contemporaries in that there are many different absolutely valid versions of Batman. How about:

• Dark, borderline psychotic loner for whom all joy was snuffed out when his parents were killed
• World's greatest detective, who uses his huge fortune to equip himself with cutting edge technology to fight crime
• A caped crusader, often teaming up with a young sidekick to take down the colorful villains that seem to constantly plague society
• Master of strategy and tactics, working with other heroes in the Justice League to take on world-threatening crises

Bruce Wayne can't let anyone in, because his parents' death shattered him at a young age. Bruce Wayne is a friend, mentor, and surrogate father to several boys. Bruce Wayne only confides in Alfred, his trusted butler and confidant. Bruce Wayne falls in love, marries, and has children of his own. His body is constantly bruised, battered, and broken. He is one of the world's greatest martial artists, gymnasts, and athletes. Batman is grim and gritty. Batman enjoys fighting crime.

It's all true, and it's all valid, and it has all combined to give us over 70 years of stories that range from predictable and pedestrian to entertaining, emotional, and exhilarating. It is the amazing adaptability of the character that ensures his continued relevance, and allows so many folks to enjoy him in different ways. Consider two of the several different takes on Batman which I count among my favorites: the Batman of the Rocksteady Arkham games (serious and intense), and the Batman of the Bruce Timm animated series and subsequent Justice League series (adventurous and human). Kevin Conroy's amazing voice work links them both, but the differences between the two are many. Still, I consider both of them as the Right versions of the character, just like plenty of people do for the Batman of The Brave and the Bold or the Batman of Dennis O'Neil and Neal Adams.

Let's just not talk about All-Star Batman, okay? Man, that's just wrong.